Resource inequality and quality of secondary education: a study of uneven policy in rural schools of southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Recent Studies have investigated the influence of the resource factor on the quality of secondary education (QSE) in Nigeria. However, the research on the resource factor as a predictor of quality of secondary education in rural communities of Southwestern Nigeria remains scanty. This study, therefore, investigated the contributions of the resource factor (RF: Resource Adequacy-RA and Resource Utilization-RU) to QSE in rural communities of Southwestern Nigeria (RCSN). The study was located within a pragmatic paradigm that incorporated the convergent parallel design in the collection, analysis and interpretation of the qualitative and quantitative data. The multi-level mixed methods sampling technique was adopted in selecting 467 secondary school graduates, while total enumeration technique was adopted in selecting 134 teachers. Six participants for the Key Informant Interviews comprised three principals and three senior officials from the Teaching Service Commission and Ministry of Education from three selected states in southwestern Nigeria. Two research questions were raised, and one hypothesis was formulated for the study. Two research instruments, namely, the Secondary School Graduate Aptitude Test (SSGAT) and Resource Factor Teachers’ Questionnaire (RFTQ), with reliability coefficients of 0.715 and 0.853, respectively, were used for the study. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation, while qualitative data were analyzed with content analysis. The resource factor with resource adequacy (x=2.50) and resource utilization (x=2.77) influenced QSE. The resource factor (r=0.75) had a negative significant relationship with QSE. The study affirmed that addressing resource inequality in rural communities is urgently required to stem the ebbing tide of quality secondary education in Nigeria.

Policy, access, and resource factors as correlates of functionality of secondary education in rural communities

“…Currently, secondary education faces challenges in increasing access, ensuring learning, and enhancing relevance to prepare them for adulthood, productive work, and societal participation (Null et al, 2017; Educational resources are crucial for the success or failure of educational systems worldwide. Okunlola and Hendricks (2023) established in their findings in research conducted on resource inequality in South-Western Nigeria that the quality of secondary education is negatively impacted by the insufficient availability of human and material resources in education. The functionality of secondary education depends on a number of variables, including its teaching force, facilities, staff satisfaction, and student motivation.…”

Translation as a Pedagogy in the Development of English Second Language in a Rural University

“…The overall concern is lack of equity in the democratic South Africa as evident in the completion rate for white students that is on average 50% higher than that for African students [18]. The situation is severe among students from historically disadvantaged universities and schools where the environment and educational quality lacks supportive resources and English proficient lecturers and educators [5,[19][20][21][22]. All this goes against the supreme policy of the country, the Republic of South Africa Constitution (1997) and other policies informed by it in education, that accords equal status to nine African languages together with English and Afrikaans.…”